Guiding device



F. KLASSEN.

GUIDING DEVICE.

APPucATmN msn AuG.2s.191a.

Patented July 22, 191).

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRANK KLAssEN; orliuernnasoiv, KANSAS.

GUIDING- DEVICE.

Specification of 'Letterslatent l Patenigd July 22, 1,919a Application led August 26, 191.8. Serial-Np. 251,459. I

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known thatI, FRANK KLAssEN, a

citizen ofthe United States, residing at Mc- Pherson, in the county of McPherson and State of Kansas,- have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Guiding Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and .exact description ,of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art tojwhich it appertains to make and use the: same.'

This invention relates to guiding devices,

and it relates more :particularly to Van irn-4 vproved lgu ding attachment for auto-trac tors andthe like. i l L One object of this device is to provide a device .of thischaracter which is adjust`I able so as torbe'quickly and easily attachableto diferent'styles and sizes of automobiles or tractors, and which is equally eii'ective-for guiding the different kinds and sizes; l

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which the guiding opera tion is entirely automatic, and which guides the tractoror automobilearound curves as well asalong a lstraight Path; V

Another o'bgect is to provide a device of this character'having a controlling spring that coperates with otherelements 1n effect--4 in the automatic guiding and which is also l e .ective for holding the guidejpole in and out of its operative position;

'.Another object is to provide a device of.v

this character of which all the elements are united in a unitary structure anda simple attachment that can be attached and ad.-

justed by any person of ordinary ability Another object is toiprovidea device of this character which comprises lcompara tively few andsimple parte which may 'conaccompanying. drawings, in which:

gigure'lis a top-planH view illustrating or-'trlactor havingl my improved automatic the-frontportion of an ordinary automobile guide attachment attached and in i-tsvworking position;

.Fig 2'is a side. elevation of themeohamsm shownin Fig. l), parts of 'the tractor 'being broken out so as to more clearly show the structure of my'improved guiding de- Ylce; f, i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, the section being taken along the line I Fig. .5 is an enlarged sectional view, the

section being taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. l; I v

Fig. 6 lis a perspective detail view, illustrating a number ofthe component parts of- ,my invention separated but respectively p0 sitioned to'show'the correlation to One another; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the clamping elements whereby my improvedjointed steering device is operatively connected to the lordinary steering mechanism of an automobile or`the like.

Referring to these drawings .in detail, in

which similar reference characters correspondwith similar parts throughout the-several views, the automobile or tractor a is of 'ordinary construction and will not be described in detail except to mention the joint- .with lateral arms d which are, pivotally connected through the medium o f a steering link c, which maybe connected to the other elements of an ordinary steering mechanism in any manner desired. However, when it is desired to use an ordinary automobile vor tractor with my improved automatic steen- -ing device, all of the ordinary steering mechanism may be omitted or removed, (if desirable) except the elements b, dand c.

The attachment which lconstitutes the present invention consists of three clamps f8, 9 and l0, a lever 11, an arm 12, ayguidepole '13,a spring 14 and such adjuncts as will' be hereinafter/referred Ito.

The clamp 8 comprises an apertured plate 15 and two Uebolts 16 with their correlated nuts. This clamp element embraces the axle a between the stub-shafts t, they plate 15 preferably fitting aoninst the lower surface of the axle and being provided With a stud 17' which is preferably threaded at both ends and comprises a pivot element which coperates: with 4the plate 151e* supporting the lever' 117-. VThe rear arm of the lever 11 is longitudinally slotted at 18,. for the reception of pin 19 whchiis. adjustable longi-l tudinally of the-slot 18', the pin 19; having ascreW-threadedend which extends through the slot 18` and engages with a nut 20 which coperates with the pin :for holding the lat-A ter in eachof its adjustments. The pin -19 normally extends upward through a slot 21 'of a plate 22 which constitutes a portion of Athe clamp element 9, a pair 'of ll-bolts` 23 and their correlated .nuts constituting the other elements of this clamp. From; the

foregoing disclosure of the elements 9 and- 19, in connection with the slotsr 18 and 21,

it will be seen that the clamp 9 may be adpivot also extending through the apertured .ears 26 ofthe arm 12, so that said arm may be swung verticallyv with relation to the 1ever 11. The arm 12 is apertured at 27 for the reception of a U bolt 28 which engages the rear end of the pole 13.` Moreover, thev arm 12 is apertured or slotted at 29 .for the reception of a U-bolt 30. This U-bolt 30 extends through an apertured clamping blockBl -Which is provided with a V-notch 3 3. The slot 29 is longer than the distance across Vthe parallel arms of the U-bolt 30, so that this U-bo-lt may have movemen-t longitudinallyof the slot 29. In thus moving the A{1 -bolt longitudinally of the slot 29, the

guide pole 13 is moved laterally with rela- "tion to the arm 12; or, in other Words, the

front of the guide pole is swung about the point at which it is connected to 4the arm '12 by the U-'bolt 28, said U-bolt being sut-V -iciently` large to allow such movement. i

It will /be seen that the U- bolt 30 and its correlated nuts, together with the clamping block 31 constitute anladjusting Yclamp` which coperates with the clamp `elements 28 and its correlated nuts for holding the guide pole 13 'in each of its adjusted 'position-s.

'i The guide pole '13 is preferably formed.

with a curved end which constitutes a runner and is slidable along the horizontal and vertical surfaces of a furrow, and such furrow constitutes an extraneous guide which coperates'with the guide pole for swingingV the guide arm 12 andhgndc-LleuenwllA horiyzontally.

The spring 14 has one end connected to the. clam-p 10y andhas its; other end connected to thevertically swinging armA 12, the

point of connection to the clamp 10 being disposed in a lower planev than the point of .connection to the arm 1 2. This feature .of the: invention is clearly shown in Fig, 2, and

i-ts effect is to draw the 12' and pole 13v downward so as'l to. keepthQQryed end of the arm 12 .'against-thehorinontal surface or bottom of the furrow. In order to 'effeet this a1rangement. .ofrfthegspring 14- andl arm 12, theclaij@ coni-prises a plate 34 having a depeniiigajerturcd arm 35 to which the spi'i-ngmlek'i's secured. The' plate 34e is. secured to the axle element c-by means of the, U-bolts 361- their correlated nuts, and itis obivions. that the spring 14 may be tensioned by loosening' the nuts, sliding the clamp. 10i" along the axle element c, andthen tightening the nuts.

The` several clamp elements 8, 9 and 10 may be. quickly and easily'connected to the axle and steering of an automobile by removing` therespective nuts from the U- bolts, placing U-bolts. over the elements 0,

and e, positioning; the several plates in engagement with their respective sets ofU bolts, and engaging the -nuts with therespeetivel U-bolts.v Having thus attached the device, the correct. relation of parts may qu1ckly and easily be attained by adjustment ofthe clamping elements along the automobile elements a and e and bylateral adjustment of' the elements. 12 and 13 relation to one another.

order that the device may be rendered' lnoperatu'fe, I providea cord,v Wire or `cable 37 which is attached to the pole 13 at 38 and extends over` a sheavel Wheel 39 to a convenient position to be manipulated bythe driver 'of the. automobile.

Although I have described this embodii ment of my invention very specifically, itis 4not intended to limit'my invention to these exact details of. construction and 'arrangement of parts, but I am entitled to make minor changes without departing from the wie inventive idea disclosed in the foregoing description and following claims. What I claim as .my invention is: 1

1. An automobile guidingr device compris-1' ing a supporting element, a lever pivoted thereon and movable horizontally on its pivot and adapted' to be connected to the' automobllessteerlng mechanism so as `to v1 actuate the latter, an arm pivotally mounted on sald lever and extending` along the. path of travel of the automobile and movable vertlcalfly on its pivot, a pole provided with an element to .contact with an extraneous gulde, sald pole having one end portion lying against and longitudinally parallel with said arm, and means for adjustably securing said pole to said arm to permit lateral adjustment of said pole on said arm.

2. In an adjustable guiding attachment for automobiles, a support attachablef t0 and adjustable on the intermediate part of the front axle of the automobile, a member a-ttachable to and adjustable on the steering link of the automobile, a springfconnection attachable to and adjustable on sa'id axle, a jointed guiding device connected to said member and pivoted on said support and adapted to be guided by an extraneous guide and thereby to be swung horizontally on its pivot and transmit motion to said steering,

' element to contact with an extraneous guide,

means for adjustably connecting sald pole.

to said arm to permit lateral adjustment of the pole on the arm, and means for retaining said arm in its operative positionl 4. In an adjustable automatic'guide for automobiles, the combination of a lever,

clamping means for securing said lever to an automobile and allowing horizontal movement or' the lever, adjusting means for opel'- ativel y connecting said lever to the ordinary steering mechanism of the automobile, an arm pivotally mounted on said lever and su'ingable vertically on its pivot, a pole provided vvith an element to con-tact With an extraneous guide, means for adjustably connecting said pole to said arm to permit lateral adjustment 0f the pole on the arm, and a spring for controlling movement of said arm.

5. In an adjustable automatic guide for automobiles, a lever, means for securing said lever to .an automobile and allowing horizontal movement of the lever, means for operatively connecting said lever to the ordinary steering mechanism of the automobile, an arm pivot-ally mounted on said lever and swingable vertically on its pivot, a pole provided With an element to contact With an eX- traneous guide, means for attaching said pole to said arm and for allowing lateral adjustment of the `pole relative to the arm, a spring for 'controlling movement of said arm, and means atljustably clamped'to said automobile and adapted to hold and tension said spring. i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

i FRANK KLASSEN.' Witnesses:

GXF. GRATTAN, J. M. GRATTAN. 

